Corn-planter



A. WI'OKEY & J. W. BROWN. Corn Planter.

No. 234,447. Patented Nov. 16,1880.

Fifi.

UNTTnn STATES PATENT Urrrcn.

ANDREW VVIOKEY AND JOHN W. BROWN, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,447, dated November16, 1880.

Application filed January 9, 1880. i

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, ANDREW WIoKEY and JOHN W. BROWN, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State ofIllinois, haveinvented certain new and useful ImprovementsinCorn-Planters; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it a-ppertains to make and use thesame, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersor figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

()ur invention has more special application to that class ofcorn-planters (drawn by two horses) by which two rows are planted at thesame time, though the invention is applicable to single-row droppers, todrills, and to automatic as well as hand dropping-machines.

Our improvements have reference to the mechanism for measuring anddischarging the seed from the seed-hoppers; and as the remaining partsof the planter are well known in the art, we do not deem it necessary toshow or describe any other parts than those involving and exhibiting oursaid invention.

Our invention consists, essentially, of two departments-first, indevices for measuring and discharging simultaneously from two or moreseed-cups, one grain from each cup, and second, a mechanism to compeleach movement of the seed-plate to be a full stroke.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the upper side of the bottomof the seed-hopper. Fig. 2 is the same of the bottom of the seed-hopper.Fig. 3 is a detached view of the seed-disk and cut-oft plate. Fig. 4 isa bottom view of the bow E, bow-guides F F, and pawls G G connected,with base-board D removed, the dotted lines showing the arc traversed bythe outer ends of the bow-guides F F at each movement of the seed-plate.

A is the hopper containing the seed. B is a horizontal seed-disk,provided, near its outer edge, with the circular series of seed-cups aa, and pivoted, at its center, on the vertical post I).

The arrangement of the seed-cups in a circular series near the peripheryof the seeddisk is very important, as it is absolutely indispensablethat each seed-cup, in order to contain the same quantum of seed, shallbe subject to the same conditions as every other seedeup, that allot theseed-cups shall be located alike relatively, and at each movement of theseed-disk sh all traverse the same interval and the same is true of thelike distribution and location of the discharges.

Ois a cut-oft plate, having a circular opening,

corresponding to the outer line of the seedcups a, and the fourcut-offs, c, placed at intervals, as shown, and each projecting inwardover one of such seed-cups. D is a base-board, fastened in any suitablemanner tothe bottom of the hopperA and under the seed-disk B, and havingthe four holes fdirectly below the cut-offs c for the downward passageof the seed. E is a spring-bow, pivoted at its open ends to the outerends of the bow-guides F F, which latter are in turn pivoted, near theirinner ends, below the center of the baseboard D on the post b,the latterbeing formed on the upper side of the stirrup H and extending up throughthe base-board I) and seed-disk B. The circumference of the seed-disk Bis provided with notches (I, placed at regular intervals and being innumber half of that of the seed-cells a, fitted to receive the pawls GrG, which latter are pivoted at the open ends of the spring-bow E, andhave a reverse action, alternately engaging one of the notches d. Thepawls G are forced into the notches (Z by the small springs c 6,attached at one end to the inside of the spring-bow E, and bearing withtheir loose ends against the outside of the pawls G. i

The operation of our invention is as follows: The spring-bow E isfastened in any suitable manner to the ordinary reciprocating bar,connecting and operating the two sets of seeding devices, and actuatedby a hand-lever or otherwise. As the spring-bow E is drawn in onedirection one of the pawls G engages one of the notches d on theseed-disk B, and revolves the latter the degree of one seed-cup. Whenthe spring-bow E is moved in the contrary direction the other pawl Gengages a notch, d, reversely on the opposite side, and revolves theseed-disk Din the same direction an additional degree of one seed-cup.Thus each movement of the spring-bow E revolves the seed-disk B in thesame direction the degree of one seed-cup a.

We make the spring-bow E of steel, and the distance between its openends is that between the opposite ends of the two arcs described by thebow-guides F F, so that as such bow-guides traverse the arcs theydistend the open ends of the spring-bow E, and the elasticity of thelatter, after the guides have passed the center of their respectivearcs, assists to throw the guides to the other end of the arcs. Thus thespring-bow E insures a full movement of the seed-disk B, and alsoincreases the rapidity of the latter half of such movement-a verydesirable object, especially in check-rowing.

The difficulty met in those machines which measure in but one seed-cupthe entire number of kernels for each hill is, that the kernels fallinto the seed-cups in such irregular and varying order and positionsthat it is impracticable to procure, in every instance, the same desirednumber.

In our invention each seed-cup is of a size to contain one kernel and nomore, in whatever position such grain may fall into the seedcup. Weobtain the number of grains desired for each hill by usingsimultaneously that number of discharges. \Ve provide the droppingmechanism with the maximum number ofcutoifs and discharges possibly tobe required at any time; and when it is desired to use a less number,one or more of such discharges can be temporarily closed by the use ofthe thin metal slide 9, so that the machine can be readily adjusted todrop at each movement of the seed-disk B any number of grains, from oneupward, by using the number of cut-oifs and discharges corresponding tothe number of grains wanted for each discharge. After the several grainspass through the holes in the base-board D, they fall together into theordinary vertical seed tube or boot, near the bottom of which is theusual valve, shelf, or other device, and are there held until theirdischarge together therefrom to the ground on the next movement of theseed-disk. In the case of check-rowers, such lower valve or shelf isusually connected in some way with the seeddisk, so that both areoperated by the same movement. Ve make no claim to such secondarydropping, our invention being limited to the devices shown, or theirequivalents, for the primary dropping from the seed hopper.

In the case of drilling or planting without check-rows the secondarydropping could be dispensed with, and the seed dropped directly from theseedhopper to the ground.

Our invention is adapted to be operated automatically in any of theknown and usual modes of actuating, reciprocating, or revolvingseed-slides.

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is-

1. In combination with the seed-disk B, the pawls Gr. spring-bow E, andpivoted bowguides F, constructed and operating substantiallyin themanner and for the purpose specified.

2. The spring-bow E, bow-guides F F, pawls G G, springs e c, and postI), in combination with the seed-disk B, all constructed and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands.

ANDREW VIOKEY. JOHN 7. BROWN.

lVitnesses F. L. ScHoFInLD, JOSIAH BROWN.

